The weather was so hot yesterday that I spent a lot of time watering the newly planted barrels and pots and planters. The hollyhock was drooping under the heat of the sun. That got watered, too. More heat today, tomorrow and into next week.
Mother Nature, it’s too soon.
Luckily, we put the a/c window units in on Monday, knowing what was coming. It’s nice and cool inside the house.
I pulled a lot of weeds. Cripes, there are so many already! I trimmed a couple of stray mini bushes that are growing in the big garden bed – there’s a wild honeysuckle trying to take over, a mini catalpa, and heaven knows what else. Their roots are deep so it’s tough getting them out of the bed. So, I just keep pruning them throughout the summer until it’s too hot to care anymore.
Birds are using the birdbath constantly. A sip of water, a refreshing bath; there’s lots of activity. And bunnies are everywhere. In fact, they’ve been getting into the big corral and then they can’t remember how they got in and we have to guide them out. After a few efforts at herding them from inside the corral and seeing them freak out in panic, now we do it from the other side of the fence. It’s an interesting turn of events. They rarely made their way inside the corral when Scout and Riley were alive. But now? Those scamps are in there all the time.
I haven’t seen Henry in a long time. In fact, I haven’t seen him since I opened the front door to get him out of the big garden bed. He ran off quickly, as groundhogs do whenever they hear a sound. And I haven’t seen him since. Maybe he is a she and babies are being born? Maybe he decided to move on? Maybe he’s exploring other parts of the property? I have no idea. But I miss him.
My neighbor tells me they have groundhogs living under their shed, as well.
Plants in the photos: Geranium, Dame’s Rocket (a wildflower), and Boxwood.
I have a book review scheduled for tomorrow. Early tomorrow afternoon, we will be headed to Hartford to see the Opening Night performance of Anastasia. I can’t wait to see it again and I can’t wait for Don to see it.
Happy Thursday.
oh, those bunnies! i couldn’t be mad at them (weeds, on the other hand … ugh). nice of you to find a gentler way to get the bunnies out of the corral.
enjoy those beautiful flowers and the show!
kathy in iowa
Well, I felt so bad that the bunnies were running to parts of the corral, flinging themselves agains the chicken wire, trying to find their way out, that I had to fid a better way. I saw a wee baby bunny yesterday!
Sorry you are having to water and for the heat. I guess we are supposed to heat up now for the weekend. I am not looking forward to it. Tina
Me either, Tina!
We had a thunderstorm early this morning…and now we have cool breezes. Unfortunately, it’s still supposed to heat up today! Our weeds have really multiplied too…guess I’ve got a lot of work to do. Wonder what happened to Henry? Bet you could write a children’s book about him and his misadventures! ;)
I hope he’s okay, Donnamae. I worry about him!
Lots of gardening chores! In the urban burb where I live, no wild plants, everything is landscaped, especially since I live on what had only been sand. When I re-landscaped, I purposely put in plants that attract hummers, butterflies and bees. I have plants that will give me flowers nine to ten months out of the year. The new garden was planted about two months ago, and so far, lots of flowers! Hope Henry peeks out again.
Sounds like the garden is doing very well, Wendy!
We had rumbles of thunder this AM, but only about 9 drops of rain. Will have to water again, I’m sure. In mid-January it was only a dream, so I must keep reminding myself of that!!
What is up with the amount of bunnies this year?? Wow! And they really don’t run away when we are outside. One would think, with 2 Greyhounds living in our house, and the fact that they are taught to chase little rabbit-like creatures and doodads, that bunnies would stay away!! Not so much. Lots of ducks in the yard daily, also.
Hope your day is lovely!!! Stay cool…
I know. We have a lot of bunnies this year – a little baby bunny got lost in the corral one day and I saw another (or maybe it’s the sam one) run across the ground near the shed yesterday.
Claudia, do you feel like a Disney princess yourself out there in the garden, with all the critters scampering and hopping and flitting and splashing?
I have a hot tip for your trip to Hartford: Trader Joe’s has VEGAN marshmallows now!
On another note, maybe you and Don can check out the Rose Garden in Elizabeth Park. I don’t think you’ll regret it. There is a perennial garden as well, with a lovely shade garden adjacent.
Have a wonderful time at the show!
http://elizabethparkct.org/rose-garden.html
Thanks for the Trader Joe’s tip, Nancy. No time for the rose garden, I fear. It will be a heavy traffic into Hartford day and we have a 6:30 curtain!
I guess I thought that you’d be staying overnight in Hartford. That’s a lot of travel for one day!
It’s been a long, long time since I’ve seen a bunny in our drought-ridden hills of SoCalif. They would come out at dusk; loved seeing them scamper. Maybe because we got more rain this year…not enough to break the drought; are hills are already losing most of their green…we’ll see some soon. At least for a few months, they’ve been able to nibble and I assume propagate (whereas before, their habitat has been decimated).
I guess I have my own nature-surround here but you actually sound like you’re inside a botanical garden or wildlife center! You surely did get hot fast, though, didn’t you.
Segue to the topic of Social Security. Maybe too personal of a question but, since there was a discussion here about it, did you ever apply? I’d read that you need to give them a 3-month heads-up. Online or in person? If you did apply, how’d it go for you? Just curious, as it’s in my future and I don’t know anything of the process.
Yes, I did apply and I’m now getting it. 3 months seems about right, when I called someone (in October – my birthday is in November) they
said I would have to wait for an appt. via the phone in December. But I was impatient, so I went online and it went through quickly and when my birthday rolled around, I started getting payments.
Thanks for that answer, Claudia. Things we hear…but, someone told me it’s easier to get hooked up with Social Security than Medicare. Medicare apparently takes some real study. A guy I know waited to apply for Medicare and it had subsequent delays. I don’t know all the details but he told me, ‘whatever you do, start studying Medicare well in advance and don’t wait til your birthday!’ Did you experience any difficulties when signing up Don? I remember my parents getting these voluminous booklets about it. I really need to start becoming informed. My husband’s older than I am, so he’ll be first.
Don had no trouble with Medicare. I think it’s easier to get signed up (they automatically notify you) if you’re on Social Security already. He called them, they had all his info. He just had to let them know if he wanted Part B or not and he’ll have to sign up separately for prescriptions. Pretty easy.
Good to know. Thanks again for answering. The friend who warned me about Medicare was indeed still employed full time (owns his own business…physical therapist…) when he decided to get going on Medicare. I think he’d lost a couple of employees through attrition for whom he paid benefits, went to part-timers (no benefits) and decided it was ‘time’ to ditch the HMO for himself and make the move to Medicare for what clearly was a cost savings.
My husband will still be working full time when he can qualify for Medicare but he has to keep working for the HMO…for me (unless we go to some Obamacare kind of thing, which I dread, especially after hearing how you pay dearly for that coverage yourself…it seems so problem-plagued for average folks like my husband and me). ‘Way scary, for people I’ve known who, say, have gotten laid off, they lose their medical, can’t get another job because they’re an older worker (and employers want the young ones) and now can’t afford their own medical policy. It’s that gap…when you might be, for instance, age 61, can’t get Social Security yet OR Medicare, can’t get a job, so how in the H*!L can you pay your bills and also have health coverage? Risky situation.
It has gotten warm here, in the 80’s so I’ve had to water also. I’m planning on some more flowers this weekend maybe but still unpacking boxes of course. Mom is all moved and we turned in the keys to her apt today. My sweet Ashleigh is here for a couple of days and tomorrow is a Mother/Daughter day! I haven’t seen her since Dec. Enjoy the show in Hartford. I know it will be great.
hugs,
Linda
Have fun with Ashleigh, Linda! Glad your mom is all moved in now.
Pretty!…the Dames Rocket is very prolific here this year…purple and white…I love it!
Same here, Nancy!